guess who was filming in my street tonight????

Delorme Jean-Marie · October 19, 2006

Januz kaminsky!!!!

it's not every day so i wanted to let you know!

it's an american film in france with a french crew, only the dp and director are from the US

the name of th movie is "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly "

and it take place tonight in my street

goodnight ;)

timHealy · October 19, 2006

And all this time I thought Janusz was Polish.

Best

Tim

kelly tippett · October 21, 2006

Januz kaminsky!!!!
it's not every day so i wanted to let you know!

it's an american film in france with a french crew, only the dp and director are from the US

the name of th movie is "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly "

and it take place tonight in my street

goodnight ;)

I started to read that book and didn't get far into it. I think that was the book.

Thom Stitt · October 21, 2006

I was walking in downtown Vancouver when I stumbled upon a commercial that was shooting on Granville (I think it was Granville).

I chatted with a P.A. for a few minutes about it, and learned that Kaminksi was DPing. I didn't see the man in action, but it was a cool feeling that he was in such close vacinity.

That's how you know you're a cinematography nerd.

Rik Andino · October 21, 2006

Who's the director?

I mean the cinematographer is important--but so is the director and the lead actors.

Michael McIntyre · October 21, 2006

Who's the director?
I mean the cinematographer is important--but so is the director and the lead actors.

http://imdb.com/title/tt0401383/

Hate to be the IMDB dork but this is what I found.

Very cool that they were in your neighorhood.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2008)

Directed by

Julian Schnabel

Writing credits

Jean-Dominique Bauby (novel)

Ronald Harwo

Cinematography by

Janusz Kaminski

Film Editing by

Juliette Welfling

Filming Locations:

Berck, France

Lourdes, Hautes-Pyrénées, France

Luke Allein · October 23, 2006

That's so cool. I friggin LOVE Janusz Kaminski. I never got to meet him yet, but his photography is unreal. Munich looked so damn good, it hurt.

I heard he's kind of a pain in the ass to work with, I heard a good story about him on "AI". Thats awesome you got to see that dude in action.

Kevin Zanit · October 23, 2006

"I heard he's kind of a pain in the ass to work with, I heard a good story about him on "AI". Thats awesome you got to see that dude in action."

My 1st works with him a lot, loves working for him, he said nothing but good things about working for him.

I am a huge fan of his work as well.

Adam White · October 23, 2006

Wow,

As much as I admire Januz, the film has to be something really special to invoke the power of the book.

Any of you get the chance to read it (yes, before the film is out) THEN DO!!!

It puts a lot of our everyday stresses and rants into perspective. . .

timHealy · October 25, 2006

I heard he's kind of a pain in the ass to work with

I worked on the NY and Virginia portion of War of the Worlds where he was nothing of the sort. He actually was kind of upbeat and silly. I would love the opportunity again.

best

Tim

Luke Allein · October 25, 2006

I guess that's what I meant by "pain in the ass". Not so much like he's a mean dude, but I've heard he likes to screw around sometimes and inadvertantly or not get other crew members in trouble kind of thing.

-The story I heard, without naming names is a fellow who was pulling focus for him on "AI". There's a scene where Jude Law is running out of a town or something, and all the people are throwing things at him. The AD's gave the audience these big bean bags to throw, and some of them made the shot and others I think were just a digital reference for later. Either way, they were pretty damn big and heavy. One of the focus pullers during the shot (which was tricky to pull on) got clobbered by a sand bag that Janusz threw at him as a joke. The guy said it kind of hurt, and it f'd up his pull. When Spielberg said "Ok, we got that one?" Janusz says "Yeah", and they move on. The 1st is like "Wait wait wait, I didnt get the pull, that bean bag distracted me." Janusz says "Don't worry about it", it was the 10th take or something like that "If Steven asks what went wrong, I'll cover for you, he'll get a kick out of it anyways, it's fine." The 1st really wanted to do one more, Janusz said forget about it.

The next morning they're all in dailies. Guess which take Spielberg wants? So the camera guys and whoever are in the screening room, and Spielberg turns around and says "What the fu** happened, why is that shot so out of focus??" and was pretty pissed off. Waiting for the cover from Janusz, the 1st got none and had to make up an excuse which didnt please ol' Steve too much so in the end it made him look bad. (I hear Spielberg is pretty impersonable and not the best to work for either, but that's another post) So this guy is a very repsected pro in the field, a very qualified 1st and he was kind of hung out to dry in front of Spielberg by Janusz.

I guess things along that line happened a couple of other times, but that's the story I was told. That was the quote the fellow used to desrcibe Jansuz, "Kind of a pain in the ass." He said he was a pretty nice guy, just tough to work with at times.

Either way, short of setting some kittens on fire, I dont know if any story could dissuade me from a shot at working with Mr Kaminski, he's ridiculously talented and one of my favorite DP's. I guess he's just a bit mischevious at times. But who isnt.

timHealy · October 25, 2006

Either way, they were pretty damn big and heavy. One of the focus pullers during the shot (which was tricky to pull on) got clobbered by a sand bag that Janusz threw at him as a joke.

ok i could see that happening. did the ac make up an excuse? why didn't he just say that was the shot that janusz hit me with a sandbag. it would be the truth after all.

but spielberg may like to break balls too at times. on war of the worlds he seemed to be giving the techno crane camera assistant a hard time like if a take went bad he would say in a very loud voice something like you fu**ed that one up ********. but he wasn't malicious. it was like they were friends busting on each other.

but most of the time those two guys work very hard and long.

best

Tim

Delorme Jean-Marie · October 26, 2006

hi i'm back from the set.

this night i was told buy some friends in the crew, that kaminski was a verry nice man, it was a verry small crew and light set up as they didn't get any green lights frome the city hall to shoot in my street which have the saudi arabia ambassy at one end, the nato building at the other end and the cynagogue in the middle.

all this to say he had to do a little set up wich was for ,a man in a convertible car in from of an office building :

a par can 1000 as a back light, 15 cycloides 1K for the building facade (lighted on the fisrt 3 floors only), and an "over the head" "net" of small bulbs, around 200 , i don't know the name.

the camera operator was berto and i didn't knew the cast (french)

and yes kaminski is polish

;)